Detroit city officials have moved to restrict industrial expansion at the Kronos concrete plant in Cadillac Heights following years of community opposition. The City Planning Commission voted Oct. 22 to recommend rezoning portions of the neighborhood from heavy to light industrial, which would exclude concrete facilities. The current plant could continue operating at its present size.
Crown Enterprises, owned by the Moroun family, operates Kronos and has acquired over 160 lots in Cadillac Heights since 2019 through a city land deal and private purchases. Crown's law firm threatened legal action in mid-September and Oct. 22, claiming rezoning would devalue the property. The company stated it invested more than $10 million in the concrete operation based on city approval and said it would not make promised improvements like new landscaping and sidewalks if zoning changes. City planning staff disagreed, saying those improvements are still permitted.
Residents have filed about 80 complaints about dust, noise, and air quality. Sharon Buttry, who organized resident protests, said she was disappointed the city pulled back from an earlier more restrictive zoning recommendation. "We still want them to shut down or move," she said. Kronos employees and supporters told the commission the plant has created jobs and that Crown invested in neighborhood paving.
Detroit City Council will hold a public hearing on the rezoning Nov. 19 and will make the final decision. The planning recommendation followed a 2023 request from Council Member Scott Benson to evaluate industrial zoning along the proposed Joe Louis Greenway, a walking and biking trail under construction.